Crib attachment



Nov. 12, 1968 M. DEL VECCHIO ETAL 3,410,512

CRIB ATTACHMENT Filed Oct. 20. 1966 INVENTORS' MICHAEL DELVECCHIO BY PETER GIGLIOTTI ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,410,512 CRIB ATTACHMENT Michael Del Vecchio, 140 Regent Ave., Providence, RI.

02908, and Peter Gigliotti, 50 Long Vue Ave., Providence, RI. 02904 Filed Oct. 20, 1966, Ser. No. 588,685 3 Claims. (Cl. 248104) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A crib attachment for connection to the side rails of a crib and including a cross bar defined by telescoping sections, a semi-flexible arm, one end of which is connectable to said cross bar and the other end of which has a bottle secured thereto, the semi-flexible arm being bendable to a selected position for locating said bottle in supported relation and in close proximity to a child lying in said crib.

The present invention relates to improvements in crib attachments and more particularly to an improved crib attachment that is joined to the sides of a crib and that includes a semi-flexible arm for holding a nursing bottle in a selected position in said crib.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved attachment for cribs wherein a nursing bottle can be held and supported thereby within the crib by a cross bar defined by telescoping sections to one of which a semi-flexible arm is joined, the bottle being secured to said arm for location in a selected position.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved crib attachment for holding and supporting a nursing bottle for feeding an infant wherein the means holding the bottle is defined by a flexible arm to the outer end of which a C-shaped member is secured, said C-shaped member being adapted to securely retain said bottle on said arm for location thereof in close proximity to the infant in said crib.

Various other objects and advantages will become apparent from the detailed description to follow.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the crib attachment of the present invention installed in place;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse sectional view through the bottle and clamp means;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view showing a bottle with a clamp and flexible arm support therefor;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view as taken through a crib showing the attachment in place;

FIGURE 5 is a detail sectional view showing the spring anchor means.

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals apply to like parts throughout, and having reference first to FIGURE 1 it will be seen that we have provided an improved crib attachment which includes a cross bar support 12, a flexible arm 14, and means 16 for holding a nursing bottle B in position for feeding an infant in a crib C.

The cross bar support 12 includes at least two tubular telescoping members 18, 20 made of a relatively rigid lightweight material such as aluminum or plastic. One member 18 slidably telescopes into the other member 20 and has one end provided with means 22 for engaging a crib rail 24. The means 22 includes a C-shaped element facing inwardly so as to engage the outside of the rail and be held from removal from the rail except by outward disengagement. The member 18 has a transverse pin at 26 for a purpose to be described.

The other member 20 has an inside diameter such as to snugly receive the member 18 therein. The free end 3,410,512 Patented Nov. 12, 1968 of the member 20 has a C-shaped element 28 similar to the member 22 and also facing inwardly so as to engage the outside of the rail 30. The C-shaped elements 22 and 28 are integrally joined to the respective members 18, 20, or may be otherwise attached as desired.

The member 20 has an open end, as shown at 32 in FIGURE 5, provided with a closure cap 34. The latter has a transverse pin 36 secured therein.

Resilient means for urging the members 18, 20 to inwardly telescoped relationship is provided in the form of a long coil spring 38 which has its ends engaged over the two pins 26 and 36.

The cross bar member 20 has an internally threaded boss 40 formed on the underside thereof, see FIGURES 1 and 4. The bottle supporting arm 14 has a threaded end 42 engageable in the threaded boss 40 for attachment thereto. The arm 14 is a commercially available member formed of metal and comprised of a hollow sheath made up of a spiral strip of fiat stock and a spiral coil spring interlaced therewith. The arm has the physical characteristic of being easily bent to any shape and retentive of that shape. The free end of the arm 14 has an externally threaded projection 44.

The means 16 for holding a nursing bottle is shown best in FIGURES 2 and 3. The means 16 includes a C- shaped member 46 with a boss 48 having an internally threaded hole. Thus, the threaded end 44 of the arm can be engaged in the boss 48. The member 46 has a pair of slit-like openings 50, 52 formed adjacent the free ends. A strap 54 is formed of rubber-like material and has enlarged beaded ends 56, 58 which can be snapped through the openings 50, 52 for retention thereby. The bottle B can be disengaged by first stretching the band 54 and then removing the bottle. A fresh bottle can be inserted in a similar fashion.

It will thus be seen that the nursing bottle can be held and supported by the arm 14 in any selected position in the crib for feeding an infant. Propping of bottles on pillows, which is unsuccessful, is thus obviated.

The cross bar 12 can have a large ball 60 rotatably or fixedly mounted thereon with toys attached thereto to amuse the infant.

In view of the foregoing, it is believed that we have provided an improved crib attachment which fulfills the objects hereinabove enumerated.

As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, the present embodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive, since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the description preceding them, and all changes that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims or that form their functional as well as conjointly cooperative equivalents, are therefore intended to be embraced by these claims.

We claim:

1. In a crib attachment for connection to the side rails of a crib, a cross bar extending transversely of said crib for connection to said side rails and being defined by telescoping sections, a C-shaped element being joined to the outermost end of each cross bar section and located such that the inside concave surface thereof engages the outside edge of the adjacent side rail, an elongated spring located interiorly of said telescoping sections and being engageable therewith for normally urging the sections inwardly so as to force said C-shaped elements into firm engaging relation with the outside edges of said side rails, a semi-flexible arm, one end of which is connected to one of said sections and the other end of which has a clamp joined thereto for receiving a bottle, said semifiexible arrn being bendable to a selected position for locating said bottle in supported relation and in close proximity to a child lying in said crib, said clamp including an arcuate-shaped member that is extendable around a substantial portion of the circumference of said bottle and conforms to the configuration thereof, and a resilient band that is connectable to said arcuateshaped member and envelops the remaining portion of the circumference of said bottle for locking said bottle to said clamp.

2. In a crib attachment as set forth in claim 1, the section of said cross bar to which said flexible arm is attached including a threaded boss, said one end of said flexible arm being threaded for engagement with said threaded boss.

3. In a crib attachment as set forth in claim 2, a cap secured to the end of one of said sections and having a pin extending therethrough to which an end of 4 said spring is joined, the other end of said spring being connectable to a pin extending through the other of said sections.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,351,919 9/1920 Levi 211---105.6 2,739,320 3/ 1956 Kostka 248102 X 2,988,135 6/1961 Caminiti 211-105.6 X

FOREIGN PATENTS 476,968 9/1951 Canada. 532,910 11/1956 Canada.

348,780 9/1960 Switzerland.

0 CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner. 

